If I had even a day to do it all over again...

I was at one of my supply houses yesterday and had the pleasure of catching up with an old friend for a few minutes in her store. I could see her taking care of her small independent supply with care and enthusiasm, but clearly, she was frazzled trying to keep it all up!

I watched as she finished up with another customer, took a call and then greeted me with warmth.  When she sat down to put in my order you could hear the sigh of relief from her knees to her brain as she clicked on the keyboard apologizing for the delay in service, not having the new product I was there to snag on shelves yet, and the two-month-old remodel still waiting for additional shelving.

I adore her.  I found myself reflected in her young spirit and was inspired by her love for the industry we share.

And she looked tired.

And I know that look.

Suddenly, I am afraid for her. 

This is what burnout looks like.

Maybe that is why I stuck my big head into her face and suggested that she needed an assistant.  It sparked a tired reply that she can't afford more than the part time helper she had and how will she possibly find the right person.....  we all know her delima.

Years ago I received SAME advice on one of those 'tired' days long ago, and I turned it down using the same excuses she did.

So, I said what I wish someone could have been so blunt as to say to me.  (Would I have changed course?  Would I still have my small shop, or maybe two or more???  I don't know the answer to that, but I will say  I really love the path my like has taken.)  What if someone had said to me what I now know I need to say to her:

"You mean that if you pay someone else ten bucks an hour to grab a product off the shelf from the warehouse for me while you take care of some bigger fish you wouldn't increase your own earning power and earn $100 in an hour instead?"

Her reply gave me hope that she was listening.  She said I had given her a new perspective that day.

If someone could wave the magic wand and have time reverse, I would take back a day.  But probably just to prove a point.  That point is that I really have learned so much wisdom in these past years that my young enthusiastic years just could not embrace.

I hope this young store owner can embrace an assistant, apprentice or a part-time shadow of some sort to help her take better care of EVERYONE.  I need her to be there when I want to know the latest, greatest most very cool thing about this new nail product. 

I want her to beat the odds.

And I want her to be there thriving when I come back next time.

So, your having a bad day are you?

Today started out as a bad day for me.  The "trash" from outside the salon I bring in from my personal life can really affect the way I work.  If I have other concerns on my mind when I am working on a customer the distraction often shows in hair that doesn't represent my best.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before I got in the groove and chose to flip a switch which turned on my professional charm.  Sometimes it is hard to find that line of friendly chatter when we answer the inevitable "How are you?" questions.  Our customers are here to have our expertise and attention.  Focusing on what THEY need should always be the first priority when we step up to the client.

This is a tough, emotional job for many reasons.  Different, in my opinion, than other professions because it is incredibly personal for both me and my clients.

Here are some of the reasons why I think I made it past that first year out of beauty school and into long lasting relationships with my return clients.


SCHEDULE'em Online Appointment Book

Remember that one of the reasons why you chose to be a hairstylist is because of the joy and passion it brings. Don't forget to choose to make each client feel better when they leave than when they came in.  A simple compliment and a listening ear are sometimes more important than the finished expert work.

Your business is your responsibility, and whether you rent the chair or own the entire salon, you can still make the best of any business situation by being innovative, positive and hard working. Use what is right in front you and maximize your resources by consulting with other experts to solve problems.

Figure out what are the best, most cost-effective ways to grow YOUR business. Use your resources for any opportunity to share your expertise offer superior customer service with every customer every time.

And lastly, GET UNCOMFORTABLE.  It is hard to do things that are out of our comfort zone. Guess what?  You are not a 5 year old and no one is going to do everything for you, so jump up and impress me with your energy and "Can Do" attitude.  No one will mock you for trying.  In your next free minute do what scares you the most.  Do something you do not want to do. You will be amazed at the results!  Make a list and check off everything "I don't want to" action you can think of.

It is going to be a great day.

The Art of Customer Retention

Growing your business can seem like a daunting task.  But what about keeping the business you already fought for?

Speaking of actions and efforts, it is no accident that you are reading this article.  If you have this showing on your screen, I know what keeps us both up some nights.  Here is some great advice for us all. 

You have seen this happen, haven't you? As you focus on obtaining additional customers, the ones you have are leaking out the back door. The lifeblood of any business is not just growth.  I have experienced that it is actually twofold: obtaining new customers while retaining current ones. Are you so completely focused on acquiring new customers, that your current current customers receive less than your best, and slip out the back door and across the street (or across town) directly to your competition?

How can you stop this?  Here is one very promising idea:

You. 

 

When a customer returns, it is all about YOU baby! What simple things about you are the things people come back for?  Friendship?  An amazing scalp massage?  Laughter?   That one way to do the neckline he loves?  Be consistent with every customer and take a look at what wins their loyalty and opens their wallet.

Statistics say that there are many reasons customers do not return to a place of business.  This list sites that 4% move away; 5% leave to try something new; 9% leave you for your competition; 14% leave disgruntled with your service, and an overwhelming 68% of your customers leave you because they encounter an attitude of indifference (meaning your customers felt that you did not care if they stayed with you or not).

While these figures are represented as percentages, the real truth is that these percentages translate into dollars.  Your customers have chosen you as a good reason to part with their money. We must never forget that customers are always free to choose, and just as they chose your salon, they will choose another salon if your service is not up to par. The solution?  Superior customer service is a factor that YOU control.

What is superior customer service? Simply, it is the kind of service you would like to receive. And don't forget, this kind of marketing is free if you do it, and costly if you don’t.

What will distinguish you from your competition?  What makes your business irresistible? What keeps your best customers speaking highly of you and coming back forever?

Many salons implement actions or services that positively impact or impress your customers.  They step it up the first time they see a new customer, and then tend to allow these WOW factors to fall by the wayside.  Stop this. Superior customer service is consistent - from the first visit to the twentieth visit to the one hundredth visit.

When you FOCUS on your gracious words and the ability to deliver the service your customer came for will greatly increase your odds of that client coming back and even better, bringing someone with them next time too.

(***Don't forget to include a request for referrals on the bottom of each email SCHEDULE'em sends out for you.  Its a no brainer that our subscribers have reported an amazing influx of new referrals since they started using our software!)

Don't forget to radiate the kind of customer service

you would want to receive

for every customer, every visit.

An Artists Path to Geater Success

I often remark that a bad hair day is that it is not so much about our vanity as it is our self esteem.

Every day a client will come in, sit with you and leave a while later sporting a great new look. This is one of the reasons I love my job, love to make people look and feel great!  The transformation of our appearance is often a visual marker for how we are feeling.

SCHEDULE'em Online Appointment Book

So how do we we tap into this creative side of ourselves to deliver that every day to our clients? What is it that continues to ignite our passion and fuel our drive?  How do you keep up with the always evolving technical trends? What are you doing to keep those juices flowing and making it fun and fresh and exciting again and again?

Here are some ideas I have used  to ignite the creativity and build clientele and expertise:

-  Meet with your staff individually and assess with them what they need support with technically.
-  Offer continuing technical education. Keep in mind that you can pair up staff to learn skill from each other, and your new experts can cross train others.
- Look online and see what is out there. YouTube. Blogs. The website for your favorite product line.  Beauty message boards.  They are all so easily accessible.  This can be a beneficial way to encourage your staff to research independently during the downtime between clients.
- Put regular "training" into the schedule and stay committed to filling that valuable time.  Make this available to all levels of experience.
- Your Distributor/Manufacturers always have new information to share.  Make it an expectation that they always show and tell you something about your retail or products when they visit.  You might be pleasantly surprised how much they can boost your little business!

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere..."